How To Weave
by AuroraBanshee
Summary: Because Neal Caffrey knew how to pretend.


_Disclaimer: I do not now nor have I ever owned White Collar, and neither do I claim so. I use the show's characters with the utmost respect for its owners and am not planning any money-making schemes._

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><p><em>"Oh! what a tangled web we weave,<em>

_When first we practice to deceive!"_

-Sir Walter Scott

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><p>A designer suit. A firm handshake. A charming smile. It was a game. It always had been. And it was one he was good at.<p>

Neal Caffrey knew how to pretend.

For him, it was necessary. It was about survival. A pocket picked here, a card trick there. Life was good. However, like a fine wine, he'd aged and developed a certain finesse. He came to realize that it wasn't just a game. It was an art.

Neal Caffrey also knew about art.

Painting, sculpting, acting. They all became a part of his master art: the art of the con. Some people accepted that x amount of work equaled y amount of pay and that was their lot in life. He knew better, though. He knew that he could make that at least an x to the second power. Exponential growth could be obtained if one went through the proper channels. While he preferred to leave the "stick it to the man" remarks to Moz, he knew that the government's rules were not for him. Neal wanted to be free. After all, if he _could_ have something, why shouldn't he?

And so a con artist Neal Caffrey would be.

It was a challenge, an excitement. He needed quick hands and an even quicker wit, especially with a no-blood policy. The stakes were high, but the rewards were high, too. It was a game, an art, a puzzle, and he was a sucker for all three.

His freedom was gone and his art restrained, but still, the art lived on. Smiles and jokes and flirts. Serious when necessary and a protest of innocence when warranted. Trust and give, but never show all the cards and always have one or two up a sleeve. A part, an act, a con to the very end. Anything less never got him, or anyone else, anywhere. The FBI played the game with him. Sidestep a question. Pursue a lead. Retreat when one gets too close. Perhaps that made it a dance, too.

Well, Neal Caffrey could most certainly dance.

When the mask began to fade and the con began to show, he'd regroup and surge on. Keep busy with more puzzles, acts within an act. Sometimes, it got dangerous. Guns pointed at him more often than he'd like, and there was slight hesitation when the thought of freedom crossed his mind. The mask slipped to let loose a micro-expression, but slid back on just as easily. Solve the puzzle first, dwell on the reason later. Too many mistakes were made when not in character.

And Neal Caffrey had always been one for perfection.

In the privacy of his home, however private that got, the reasons would come back. Laugh with friends, plan a sting, catch the bad guys, go back to a nice home. Rinse and repeat. It was a good life, a comfortable life even, something anyone should be happy with. But it wasn't the life he wanted. He needed his escape, in whatever form that came. So, sometimes, when his death wouldn't hinder the case, a gun to the head gave him pause. Only sometimes and only for a moment. It would be easy but not of his own design.

Neal Caffrey could plan his own escapes.

So on he went. A game, an art, a puzzle, a dance. Begin to trust others, but never too much. A designer suit, a firm hand shake, a charming smile.

After all, the show must go on.

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><p>"<em>All the world's a stage,<em>

_And all the men and women merely players:_

_They have their exits and their entrances;_

_And one man in his time plays many parts"_

-William Shakespeare

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><p><em>Author's notes:<em>

_To be honest, I'm not entirely sure I like it. I'd love some suggestions, so write a review. (Or don't, if you really prefer.) Either way, thanks for reading._

_Also, I'm kind of pulling the idea of quotes at the beginning/end from the Criminal Minds fandom, but White Collar also has a love of quotes, so I figured it would fit. Besides, I think it's a nice touch._


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